Saturday, October 31, 2009

Merciful Vampires

Coven Of Mercy, by Deborah Cooke, takes the vicious subject of cancer and creates a sweet and touching story that focuses on vampires that are not ruthless killers. These vampires offer mercy to those that are doomed to suffer and die by taking their lives quietly, painlessly and giving them a happy last memory. The question becomes whether or not Dr. Taylor can be convinced that victory comes with many different faces. Do you see the world in black and white? Or do you embrace the rainbow in between? How do you feel about gentle, almost peaceful vampires?

5 comments:

Cyd said...

I tend to see the world in the shades of grey. For Coven Of Mercy was different and after I had to suspend my strong belief of tainted blood theory (basically if the vamp gets blood from a subpar source the vamp is severely weakened), and I end up really enjoying Coven of Mercy.

Michele Hauf said...

As I started this story I wasn't sure I was going to like it because I could sense the direction it was going, but I love Cooke's writing, and this story was awesome.

Anonymous said...

I thought the story ended up being really sweet. I figured out the direction but I liked seeing Dr. Taylor change her mind. She was such a cold person in the beginning so it was a good read seeing her thaw a bit.

Deborah Cooke said...

Thanks everyone for the kind words! Michele, you make me blush. :-)

Interesting observation, Cyd, about "you are what you eat" with regard to vampires. I was thinking more of the role of predators in the eco-system, how they tend to prey upon the weak and infirm. Anne Rice's vampires - when conflicted - preyed upon vermin - rats and small animals - or criminals, which also made me think about deliberate choices in feasting. I see the world in many shades of grey, too, so Dr. Taylor was an interesting character to explore. I've known people like her, and writing about her gave me a bit more understanding of what might drive that kind of person.

The story I'd like to write is that of the vampire who started the coven in the first place - that would be a conflicted individual!

d

Gypsy Jane said...

And that would be a good read.
I have a STRONG preference for vamps that are NOT sloppy eaters.